How to best use: Swimming Quotes

Last Updated on November 10, 2022 by admin

Many top swimmers turn to motivational quotes, slogans and mantras for some extra inspiration.
Many top swimmers turn to motivational quotes, slogans and mantras for some extra inspiration.

In this article, we will provide advice, hacks, tips and examples on how to best use swimming quotes, slogans & mantras, for motivation & inspiration to help improve swimming performance.

  • Sometimes swimmers go through difficult times during training and competition, where some may lose focus and self-belief.
  • When this starts to happen, many top swimmers turn to motivational quotes, slogans and mantras for some extra inspiration.

Types of swimming quotes & slogans

Listed below are examples from three main sources of swimming quotes and slogans, namely from swimming role models, swimming coaches or commercial swimming slogans.

Swimming Role models

Quotes from famous role swimming models can inspire and motivate swimmers to take certain actions

For example:

Adam Peaty (GBR)

Breaststroke Multi Olympic, World, European & Commonwealth Medallist & World Record Holder, on visualisation

“This can be the most powerful thing you could harness in terms of preparation, as I was once told ‘the athlete is the mind, the body is simply the means.’ You are your only limit!”

Amanda Beard (USA)

Breaststroke, Multi Olympic Medallist & Former World Record Holder on focusing before a race

“I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me, not me about them.”

Debbie Meyer (USA)

Freestyle, Multi Olympic Gold Medallist & Former World Record Holder, on self-belief and the enjoyment of swimming

“Believe in yourself, not only in swimming but in life itself. You have to have an open mind. If you’re not enjoying it, don’t do it. Life’s too short.”

Ian Thorpe (Australia)

Freestyle, Multi Olympic & World Champion & Former World Record Holder, on attitude

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude.”

Swimming Coaches

Some swimmers use their favourite quotes from a coach to encourage them to perform to their optimum or reduce or dispel any negative thoughts.

For example:

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”

“Don’t count the laps/lengths, make the laps/lengths count”

Commercial swimming slogans

Many swimwear and swimming equipment companies include motivational quotes and slogans in their advertising, which some swimmers adopt.

For example:

“Dreams don’t work unless you do” (TYR)

“Every day is a new beginning, take a deep breath and start again.” (TYR)

“Go for a swim.” (Speedo)

“Nobody said swimming is easy. They said it would be worth it. “(Speedo)

“Quitters don’t swim, swimmers don’t quit.” (Speedo)

“Practice like a champion.” (Speedo)

When to use swimming quotes, slogans & mantras

There are many times when a swimmer could use swimming quotes, slogans and mantras for extra inspiration and motivation. See the examples below.

As a part of self-talk

Swimmers are increasingly using quotes as a mantra for their self-talk.

What is Self-Talk:

Self-talk is a psychological self-motivational technique used by top swimmers.

  • It replaces any negative thoughts with positive ones.
  • This enables the swimmer to focus on their performance, in a relaxed, controlled and determined manner.

Related article on how to best use swimming self-talk.

We have produced a related article providing advice, hacks, tips and examples, on how to best use swimming self-talk, to help improve swimming performance. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming self-talk.

In a swimming log

Many swimmers put printouts of their favourite motivational quotes and slogans in their swimming log.

For example:

Misty Hyman (USA) Backstroke & Butterfly

Olympic Champion & Former World Record Holder

“A true champion knows how to overcome doubts and manage those doubts and turn them into motivation.”

Related article on the benefits of having a swimming log

We have produced a related article, on the benefits of having a swimming log. You can view it by clicking this link: Swimming log

Swimming Goal Setting

Many swimmers attach motivational quotes and slogans to their swimming goal sheets.

For example:

“A winner makes commitments to a goal, a loser makes promises.”

“A team which has become a winner has done so by certain individuals setting and reaching goals for themselves.”

Some swimmers use relevant quotes from swimming role models

For example:

"I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time."
“I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.”

Michael Phelps (USA)

Backstroke, Butterfly, Freestyle & Individual Medley Multi Olympic, World Champion & World Record Holder

“I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.”

Liam Tancock (GBR)

Backstroke, Three-Time World Champion & Former World Record Holder

“I set goals, but they’re mostly very personal goals. I never try and set a goal where ‘I want to win this,’ or ‘I want to do this,’ where other people can affect what I do. If I want to swim a new best time, I sit down and work out the best way of doing that. Whether I can shave a few tenths of a second off a turn or the start, my goal is putting them all together in a race. That’s the way I set my goals.”

Related article on how to set swimming goals.

We have produced a related article on how to set swimming goals, to help improve swimming performance. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming goals

During Competition

Some swimmers use swimming role model quotes, to motivate them before the competition.

For example

Ryan Lochte (USA)

Backstroke, Freestyle & Individual Medley Multi Olympic & World Gold Medallist & World Record Holder

“At the start of each day, I remind myself, my toughest opponent is in the mirror.”

Cameron van der Burgh (South Africa)

Breaststroke, Olympic Champion, World Champion & Former World Record Holder

“I cannot control what goes on in another lane and this is how I focus on the games. There is no point in being nervous about other swimmers. It’s just about focusing on yourself and what you need to do in order to perform at your best.”

Some swimmers use swimming slogans, to motivate them before a competition.

For example

“Start Hard, Turn Smart, Finish Fast.”

“The harder you stroke it the faster you finish.”

“The pride you gain is worth the pain.”

During Training

Some swimmers use swimming quotes, to motivate them before training. For example

“It’s easy to train hard when you’re feeling great. Training hard when you’re not feeling great will bring you to a new level.”

“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before training.”

“The key to better swimming is swimming better.”

Some swimmers use swimming role model quotes, to motivate them before training. For example

Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands)

Freestyle, Multi Olympic, World & European Gold Medallist & Former World Record Holder

“Whenever I train, I think of the Olympics. When I am in pain during training, I think of the Olympics”

In training, some swimmers put their favourite quotes, slogans or mantras on their water bottle.

For example:

“All it takes is all you got”

“How are you going to train today?”

“If you are good, be better”

“It’s what you have left after you give 100%.”

Morning Training

Sometimes swimmers need a little bit of extra motivation, to attend morning training sessions, especially when it’s cold, dark and wet.

  • Many swimmers make attending morning training a part of their swimming goals process.
  • Some swimmers have their goals, inspirational quotes or images displayed where they can see them as soon as they wake up.

For example:

“Chlorine: the breakfast of champions!”

“It’s not a real day if you haven’t watched the sunrise from the swimming pool.”

“Life is simple. Eat. Sleep. Swim”

Related article on morning swimming training

We have produced a related article, on morning swimming training. You can view it by clicking this link: Morning swimming training

Nutritional Aid

Some swimmers use quotes from swimming role models to remind themselves about the importance of good swimming nutrition, by putting the quotes on their fridges.

For example:

“With swimming, I burn a lot of calories. I'm able to eat pretty much anything and it won't affect me. But I don't.”
“With swimming, I burn a lot of calories. I’m able to eat pretty much anything and it won’t affect me. But I don’t.”

Ryan Lochte (USA)

Multi-Stroke Olympic Gold Medallist

“With swimming, I burn a lot of calories. I’m able to eat pretty much anything and it won’t affect me. But I don’t.”

Related article on swimming nutrition

We have produced a related article, on swimming nutrition. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming nutrition

Other useful slogans

For example:

“If you do not consciously form good habits, you will unconsciously form bad ones.”

“You can always better your best.”

“You need to compete for something greater than the experience of simply winning.”

Takeaway

Sometimes swimmers go through difficult times during training and competition, where some may lose focus and self-belief.

  • When this starts to happen, many swimmers turn to motivational quotes, slogans and mantras for some extra inspiration.

Related publication: “Swimming Quotes & Slogans”

Swimming Quotes & Slogans

We have published a related publication: Swimming Quotes & Slogans a collection of over 600 motivational & inspirational quotations & slogans from the world’s greatest swimmers & coaches. For further details and ordering information please use the following link: Swimming Quotes & Slogans

Swimming resource library

We have provided a swimming resource library, containing links to all of our publications and blog articles. To access any article simply click on the attached page link: Swimming resource library

The Competitive Swimming Exchange – Facebook Group

We are members of the Competitive Swimming Exchange.

  • This is a competitive swimming Facebook group to help exchange ideas and information to collectively improve the sport we love.
  • It’s an international group for all swimmers, coaches, teachers, masters, triathletes and swimming parents. It’s for all those who are interested in competitive swimming, either in the pool or in open water

For more information about joining this group please use the following link: The Competitive Swimming Exchange